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Can anyone date this Australian photo?

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  • Can anyone date this Australian photo?

    I've received this photo from a new-found cousin, who doesn't know when it was taken - can anyone suggest a rough date?

    The husband with the impressive beard was born in 1856 and died in 1926, and his wife was born in 1859 and died in 1937.

    Last edited by Mary from Italy; 02-11-07, 20:11.

  • #2
    Beards are very ageing, so is severely pulled back hair. The background of bare boards and floorboards also suggests that it may have been somewhere where "best " clothes were quite old fashioned. I would place the man in his early 50s date maybe around 1905. (I'm married to a prematurely bald heavily bearded man, so you can see my reasoning) One of my relatives from London had a similar jacket in the 1890s.

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    • #3
      Thanks Jill - I thought he looked to be in his 50s, but I thought her dress might have been from an earlier period. They were probably in a small farming town, so I suppose old-fashioned clothes might well be worn.

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      • #4
        The trouble is, how long has that been her best dress?, age wise I would have said she was probably in her late 40s.......

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        • #5
          Mary - have compared the style of photo, beard and dress with photos of some of my ancestors here in Oz. At a guess I'd say 1890- 1930. It'a a broad span I know but it depends very much where they lived in country area or city. The lady's dress suggests about 1900- 1905 when compared to one my grandmother wears in a photo taken about then but then another great grandma wears something similar in 1928!
          From the background I also think it was probably taken somewhere away from a big city. Ones I have taken in that period in Sydney have all been posed in front of "picturesque" settings - a common backdrop in city studios.
          I don't think the style of the man's beard is a clue. I have one of a great grandfather taken in 1928 which is very similar and another great grandfather with one much longer beard taken about 1923.
          Kate

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          • #6
            Thanks Kate, that's very interesting.

            The people in the photo, Alma Chandler and Sophia Ahrens, were married in Armidale in 1878; all their children were born in Walcha, where they both died, so I would guess that's where the photo was taken.

            Alma's uncle Andrew Chandler (1835-1917) was a professional photographer who had studios in Sydney and Toowoomba at various times, but as far as I know he didn't have one in the Armidale area. He was a travelling photographer in NSW and Queensland for a while, so perhaps he took the photo during a visit.

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            • #7
              about 1910,ish brenda xxx

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              • #8
                You may already know this - but according to "The Mechanical Eye in Australia" byAlan Davies & Peter Stanbury (a very good book), Andrew Chandler had a studio in Armidale, NSW in 1861 (travelling photographer); George St, Sydney 1865-67; Warwick, QLD (with Lomer) 1869; Dalby QLD 1870; George St Sydney NSW 1871-75. There is also mention of an A Chandler in Narrabri NSW 1884-85; E A Chandler George ST SYdney in 1873; Chandler Brothers Tamworth NSW 1859 (Travelling photographers); Chandler & Lomer, George St Sydney 1865-77; Chandler & Welch Armidale NSW 1869.

                Hope this helps

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                • #9
                  Thanks very much, minkey - I had some of those details from a website, but I didn't know about the studios in Armidale, Narrabri and Tamworth.

                  I wonder who the "Chandler brothers" were? Lomer was Andrew's brother-in-law. Andrew's brother Arthur was a farmer as far as I know, and his brother Alfred disappears after the 1881 census, and I haven't found any trace of him in Australia.

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                  • #10
                    Not sure about who the brother is - maybe he is the EA Chandler, who had a studio at 419a George St, Sydney, in 1873? I notice Andrew C was at 419 (without the "a") George St from 1871-75, so there could be a connection there.The Chandler & Lomer addresses were 417 George St 1865-66, then 419 1867, and 1876-77.The Welch bloke was Charles Welch, if that's of any interest. He also had studios in Bathurst, NSW and Orange, NSW. Anyway, hope this helps, and doesn't just complicate things!!!

                    Minkey

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                    • #11
                      Not sure about who the brother is - maybe he is the EA Chandler
                      No, there's no brother with those initials - in fact the Chandlers are always easy to find, because for several generations they all had a first name beginning with A

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